The 25th Anniversary Edition of the Original Splatterpunk Novel
An adrenaline-charged tale of unrelenting suspense that sparks with raw an... read full description
An adrenaline-charged tale of unrelenting suspense that sparks with raw an... read full description
reviews
Oct 22, 2007
Peter
rated it: 
A long time ago a group of friends shared an apartment in NYC. This book was written in that apartment. I was there. at the time the book was LIVE and in color from the heart of the city and the fertile imaginations of John Skipp and Craig Spector. Now it is a great time capsule of what New York City was like in the early 80's. Yes kids, Punk Graffiti artists and vampires really were everywhere... and no one had a cell phone. There are a number of scenes in the book where the protagonists need
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Oct 16, 2011
KV
rated it: 
So when I started reading this I was really, really in love with it. The beginning is sick, sick magic, and at first, the characters feel both real and like you'll want them to win... and be sad when they die, as about half of them must, considering. I tore through the first half.
I slowed down by the time I got to 2/3 in, though. A lot of things nagged at me that I couldn't really get past, and ruined my enjoyment of what should've been a perfect vampire story. The last 1/3 was the m More...
I slowed down by the time I got to 2/3 in, though. A lot of things nagged at me that I couldn't really get past, and ruined my enjoyment of what should've been a perfect vampire story. The last 1/3 was the m More...
Oct 14, 2009
Brian
rated it: 
The Light at the End is an excellent, rip-roaring novel that serves up a classic horror novel creature the way it should be portrayed: as insidiously, viciously evil.
I only docked the book one star because of the ridiculously clichéd 1980s homophobia underlying the story.
I only docked the book one star because of the ridiculously clichéd 1980s homophobia underlying the story.
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Jun 20, 2011
Bracken
rated it:
When I first read this 25 years ago I really enjoyed it, and while it's still good it doesn't stand up to a quarter-century re-read as well as I'd hoped. Rudy Pasko, the villain, is still a wonderfully developed and lasting character--equally an object of fear and contempt--but the other characters in the book (and there are so many) aren't as well flushed out and several get lost in the crowd. The book is also dated in a way that is somewhat off-putting. While I can easily forgive rollerskatin
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Feb 28, 2009
Alejandro
rated it:
It's not "'Salem's Lot," but I think that Skipp and Spector's "Light at the End" is a suitable successor to John Shirley's proto-splatterpunk classic "Dracula in Love."
While the authors may have some homophobic tendencies, as the only homosexual character in the book is little more than a wrist-flapping joke and the word 'faggot' is strewn carelessly throughout the novel, the awkward, vampiric 'coming of age' that Rudy Pasko experiences in and under New More...
While the authors may have some homophobic tendencies, as the only homosexual character in the book is little more than a wrist-flapping joke and the word 'faggot' is strewn carelessly throughout the novel, the awkward, vampiric 'coming of age' that Rudy Pasko experiences in and under New More...
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Sep 09, 2009
DJMikeG
rated it:
This novel, the first by the groundbreaking 'splatterpunk' pioneers John Skipp and Craig Spector, was written in New York City, 1986. It really is a New York novel, the city's grim 80s atmosphere is brilliantly used as an urban Gothic backdrop for the horrifying events that take place herein. The story concerns a vampire. A vampire in the subway system of New York. In these days of vampire-everything, and especially vampire as heartthrob, or even good guy , this book might not attract fans
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Aug 29, 2009
DeCarabas
rated it:
An 80's horror story using the endless dark of the New York subway system - okay, I'm liking the concept. A fair amount of the story is told from the vamp's POV, without ever romanticizing or redeeming him - that scores major points with me. The monsters are monstrous, the death scenes are gruesome.
The homophobia detracted. So did the authors' tendency to end particularly dramatic scenes. By writing. In sentence fragments. Like this. And the vampire Rudy becomes less horrific More...
The homophobia detracted. So did the authors' tendency to end particularly dramatic scenes. By writing. In sentence fragments. Like this. And the vampire Rudy becomes less horrific More...
May 05, 2011
Dustin
rated it:
A great retelling of the Vampire story: gory, intense, and not-to-serious. It was a bit of a slow start, though, and at times it read a bit too much like Stephen King (how many characters do you really need to tell ONE story?), but all in all in was a good book. The second half was far better than the first, so if you make it past the first fifty pages, you are in for a treat. Parts of it were genuinely funny, and the dream sequences were off the hook. Anyone who likes a good horror read should
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Sep 16, 2010
Kurt
rated it:
My first Splatterpunk book... wish i had known about this stuff back in the 90's but alas I'ev only returned to horror in the last three years. This is a slice of the 80's it is snap shot of the fashions and ideals of the time and it really works that way. It has a refreshing take on the vampire mythos and the title is a must definate tongue in cheek, TWISTED, Joke. Loved the book.
Nov 12, 2010
Eric
rated it:
I can't believe I'd never read this before. D&D nerds and movie nerds vs a Lower East Side punk junkie vampire in 1985. The splatterpunk elements seem quite tame in the wake of the past 25 years, almost making the book "mainstream" enough in the face of a culture becoming ever more extreme.
Oct 13, 2011
Read this ages ago and thought it was splendid and surprised that no on ehas made a movie version. The poor guy Ruby one can have empathy with and as far as hoorror genre goes it would also perhaps make a good fringe theatre play.
May 11, 2011
Stephanie
rated it:
Creepy as hell and with a twisted sense of humor that I loved-- the fate of the guy on the roller skates made me laugh and wince at the same time. Would recommend it to anyone who likes the more traditional vampire novels.
Jun 06, 2011
Steven
rated it: 
A vampire in New York, and the people who fight it. It was a good story, but the writing was not so good. While the techniques work, they were not done well. 3 stars for story, 2 for writing.
May 17, 2011
Shannon
rated it:
The original "splatterpunk" novel set in 1986. Set in New York, the story follows a group of people trying to save the city from an ancient evil. Reads like a horror movie. I would recommend it to '80s horror fans.
Jan 25, 2011
Jason
rated it:
THird best vampire novel after Salem's Lot and I Am LEgend. Christopher Nolan should tackle this book and make it into a movie
Aug 11, 2011
Carles
rated it:
Bastante bueno, com escenas duras y ambientes suburbanos axfisiantes.
Muy ochentero pero divertido.
Muy ochentero pero divertido.
Nov 08, 2010
Mike
rated it:
Simply one of the best vampire novels of the last 20 years. Unrelenting and scary as hell!
Sep 11, 2010
William
rated it:
Another interesting take on the Vampire mythology. This is a slasher gore filled adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I really like the take on Vlad that named him as a punk wannabe rather than a vicious vampire himself. Most of the action takes place in the subways and streets of Manhattan with a motley crew of heroes and saviors.
Dec 22, 2011
DoctorM
rated it:
Ah, yes... one of the first Splatterpunk novels, a classic from the days when punk sensibility and urban decay were grafted onto classic horror themes. I loved this back in the mid-'80s, and it's held up remarkably well. As vampire tales go, it's very good indeed: all dark, pulsing adrenaline and violence. Worth a read.
Dec 20, 2011
Dan
rated it:
One of the best, modern vampire novels. Dark and Gorey Punk Rock Vampires. This book actually inspired the character of Spike from Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Apr 04, 2008
Kim
rated it:
A little too much gore for me, even if I liked the ideas presented in the novel. And some of the characters, both good and bad, will be staying with me for a long, long time.
Dec 22, 2007
Heather
rated it:
I didn't enjoy this book. I couldn't connect with the characters, so I wasn't interested in what was happening to them.
Nov 12, 2007
Linda
rated it:
Just when I was sick of all the cutesy-goth romantic vampires out there, this book came along to save me.
Feb 12, 2012
Feb 12, 2012
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